Clothes-tongs



UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.,

JOHN T. BEVER, OF BETHEL, IlliLlNOIS.

CLOTH ES-TONGS.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 55,991 dated July 3, 1866.

- of this speeiiication, of which- Figure l is a perspective View of my invention, comprising all the parts, showing its construction and operation.

AA are the legs of the tongs. B B are half-balls formed upon or attached tothe feet of the legs A A', with notches 2 2 on their inner face. When the tongs are compressed the two half-balls constitute one round or solid ball, which answers the double purpose of pushing down the clothes beneath the surface of the water during the process of boiling, and at the same time and in the same Way the dirt can be most etfectually loosened from the clothes with the slightest labor and without injury to the fabric.

The notches 2 2 serve very essentially to cause the tongs to adhere more tightly to garments that are being lifted from or turned over in the boiling-suds, and these operations constitute the main practical use of said tongs.

cis the shoulder-piece, having the handle or head-piece D inserted permanently in the center thereof. The leg A4 is inserted with round tenon in one end of said shoulder-piece c. A is also inserted in the other end of c,

with free working joint or bolt 3, as known to other tongs.

Thus we present a plain but novel implenient for washing purposes of great practical utility. As applied to the Washing of clothes it answers a threefold purpose, to wit: iirst, pushing down the clothes without injury 'during the process of boiling; second, as an efficient meansA of loosening the dirt from the clothes lby a gentle stroke or pressure of the ball or balls B B against the fabrics as they lie in the boilingsuds or in a tub before and after having` been lifted from the boil; third, as the most successful way ever known to adjust or turn the clothes during the process of boiling and raise them from the boiling-suds with great speed, ease, and safety to the operator.

This device is also adapted to the washing of dishes, Sto., thereby keeping the hands from exposure to hot and greasy suds or water.

Having thus described my invention, what l claim, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, 1s

As a new article of manufacture, the withindescribed clothes-tongs-to wit, a pair of wooden tongs furnished at their ends with united wooden hemispheres, as described.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand beforev two subscribing Witnesses.

JOHN T. BEVER.

Witnesses:

B. H. SKINNER, J. B. BONEBREAK. 

